Toledo Council votes 3-1 for new disc golf course

Anticiapte More Guests To Area

July 31, 2013

Disc golf may soon be attracting visitors to the City of Toledo, as well as giving local residents an improved recreational activity within the city limits.

On July 22, the Toledo City Council approved a bid for $10,042 with Gateway Disc Sports of Maryland Heights, Mo., to build an 18-hole disc golf course in Toledo. The course will be an upgrade from the existing 9-hole course at Toledo City Park.

The disc golf improvement had been an item on the city council's agenda for months, but it passed its first motion last week. Council Member Travis Mullen spearheaded the item and its approval.

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Disc golf course.Photo/Gateway Disc Sports

Toledo Council Member Travis Mullen

Toledo Counicl Member Terry Goodhart

"I was happy to see the motion pass, as the passage shows Toledo community members that their elected officials are working to, one, maintain the quality of life in the town we live in, serve and appreciate, and, two, make investments in the community that improve the quality of life in and attractiveness of Toledo for those that live in or visit the community," Mullen said after the meeting.

The motion did receive some opposition. Council Member Terry Goodhart voted against the motion after explaining his reasons during the meeting.

"In my opinion, we have $19,000 in the Hotel/Motel Tax and I don't see us spending half of it on Frisbee golf," Goodhart said. "I went to play the course with my grandson and I don't think there is room out there for 18 holes. We have a nice course with nine holes."

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Mullen's motion passed with a 3-1 vote. Council Members Brian Sokol and "Elmer" Skip Wilson voted for it. Council Member Jeff Filloon was absent.

"It's about the only fun thing you can go play for free," Galen Musgrave, designer of the existing disc golf course, said at the meeting. "You just need a $10 Frisbee. It's always open. You can play in the winter. We don't have that many things for kids to do and this would be a good one."

Wilson agreed.

"We don't have that many activities for kids," Wilson said. "It's pretty cheap and it's something the Hotel/Motel Tax could go for. I think it would be a good deal."

The approved motion requires the city to pay $2,500 to begin the course design work, with the rest of the amount due upon completion of the work. All three voting council members that voted for it agreed that the course will have benefits. Mullen talked about those after the meeting.

"The course will help attract people to Toledo," Mullen said. "One constant feedback that has been voiced by local disc golf players, regional players and David McCormick at Gateway Disc Sports is that if you have a quality 18 hole course, it will attract the disc golf community to play the course in your area and that they'll spend some money in your community while they're there. I'm confident that being in central Iowa, at the intersection of two major highways and near the Meskwaki Casino will only contribute to this, and that visitors will support the gas stations and dining facilities in Toledo while they're here playing a round or two of disc golf at Toledo Heights Park.

"I anticipate that the publicity the project has received and installment of the new disc golf course will cause some community members, young and old, who have never played disc golf to give it a shot myself included, as I've only played it once before," he added. 'As the topic of improving the disc golf course at Toledo Heights Park has been discussed, myself and others have been surprised my how much usage the current 9-hole course receives."

Gateway Disc Sports' bid of $10,042 includes 18 new disc golf baskets ($7,542) and course design fees ($2,500). The existing baskets at the course will be traded in to Gateway Disc Sports for tee signs at all 18 holes. Gateway Disc Sports is also giving the City of Toledo 200 discs, retailed at $2,400, which will are planning to be sold by the city at $10 each.

The City of Toledo public works employees will help with some of the groundwork to install the tee signs, baskets and tee-off platforms. Each hole will have two possible pin placements and two tee-off platforms.

The city council is expected to continue talking about this project. David McCormick of Gateway Disc Sports will submit his design to the council, who would like McCormick to attend a meeting and present his plan in person. Mullen said McCormick told him the project could be completed this summer.